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Although it may look simple on the surface, there are many details that make up the finished
product. There are very few, if any, who know everything about framing. There
are new challenges, questions, techniques, and choices in the industry that are faced only through learning and experience.
Sometimes the simplest task can take quite a bit of time. No customer wants to receive lesser quality work just because
it may take a little more time or effort to do it right. You say framing is
expensive? It might seem that way in certain instances, but for what you get and the duration of the time you will enjoy
the product, it's really a great value. Like many other things, different levels of quality, size, and treatments determine
price variations. Custom frames are personalized furnishings for your home. They are made to specifications to
enhance your items. Compare that to other custom made home furnishings and you will see that the cost is very reasonable!
We have many framing styles to cover a broad spectrum of price ranges. Come by for a quote. It's free.
Now let's talk about the value misconceptions. Just because you see "1/2
price" on something, does not mean you are getting the best deal. Find out the details and the bottom line.
1/2 price of what? Compare apples to apples. Don't forget quality and service. Are the people handling your
work serious about their responsibility or just throwing things together in order to meet their monthly sales quota?
MYTH: Custom picture framing is expensive. Custom
framed art and heirlooms are as important to the comfortable look of your home as your furniture, wall and floor coverings,
and window treatments. Furthermore, the things you choose to hang on your walls are a true reflection of your personality.
(If you want to know what is important to someone, study what hangs on their walls.) Custom
framed art and heirlooms cost less than many other items in your home. Certainly, custom framing costs more than a ready-made
frame, just as a custom window treatment costs more than one ready-made, and custom furniture costs more than factory-made.
Either way, you get what you pay for, and there is a time and place for each alternative. Custom framing is an excellent
value for items you consider important in terms of presentation or preservation -- presentation of your personality, or preservation
of precious memories or collector's value.
MYTH: "Acid-free" means museum / conservation / preservation quality. Standard matboards and mounting boards are made of wood pulp paper, which inherently contains acid. (That is
what causes yellowing and deterioration.) During manufacturing, a chemical buffer is added to matboards, usually calcium
carbonate. Calcium carbonate is a main ingredient in stomach antacids. Its purpose is to absorb or neutralize
acid, which it does in the paper board just as it does in your stomach. Therefore, the board is "acid-free".
The problem is that it works only for a limited time; then the acid, still in the board, begins its damaging effects. - The only museum / conservation quality boards are those made of 100% rag (usually
cotton) or alpha-cellulose (highly purified) paper. These boards are inherently non-acidic, and meet the standards of
every museum and conservation authority. Just "acid-free" isn't good enough.
MYTH: Non-Glare Glass stops fading. Non-glare glass has no more preservation qualities than ordinary glass. Fading is caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays common to sunlight, fluorescent light, and some other light sources. This ultraviolet light can be filtered out by means of a thin, invisible coating on the inside surface of the glass. It is the UV filter that stops fading. Custom picture framers now offer ultraviolet filtering glass in both standard and non-glare types. MYTH: Drymounting is the best way to mount art. Drymounting
is best only if your art is on non-porous paper, (like a photo) and has no collector's value (posters, reproductions).
If your art is collectible, it should be preservation mounted using special materials and reversible methods. There
are several ways to do that, but drymounting and wetmounting are not among them.
MYTH: "50% OFF" Custom Framing is a good deal. The promise of deep discounts is a common advertising ploy, intended to lead customers to believe they are getting
an exceptional value when, in reality, descriptions of products and services may be misleading. Also, the discounts
are often based on inflated retail prices. Unsuspecting customers may be fooled until it is too late. When you purchase a custom frame, you are buying more than just a frame. You are also buying the benefit of
the framer's design knowledge, refined skills, training, and experience. Consultation with an experienced professional
framer can result in a finished project that is an attractive focal point instead of just a picture on the wall. If
your art is collectible, then special methods and materials must be used to preserve it. These benefits have real value.
MYTH: The frame should cost less than the picture. If you are talking about an original painting worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, that is probably true.
However, most artworks sold these days are not originals; they are relatively inexpensive, mass-produced prints. Whether
the piece of paper you want to frame costs you $30 or $3,000, the frame could look -- and cost -- essentially the same.
Custom framing cost is determined by size, features, (such as mats or fillets), mounting, and moulding choices. Remember that
custom framing is not a mass-produced factory product, (like an art print is) but a one-of-a-kind hand crafted item designed
and built to your order, to suit your needs and preferences!
Remember that custom framing is not a mass-produced factory product, (like an art print is) but a one-of-a-kind hand crafted item designed and built to your order, to suit your needs and preferences. |
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